Solar for All Demonstrates the Importance of Equity in Clean Energy

With a first of its kind program, the District of Columbia’s Solar for All sets an example for the rest of the nation proving equity and clean energy can, and must, go hand in hand.

The Solar for All initiative aims to reduce the utility payments of 100,000 low to moderate income households by up to 50 percent through solar installations—at no cost to the families.

In the United States, the average energy burden, or percent of a household’s income spent on energy bills, is between two and five percent. For low-income residents, this number can reach over 15 percent and can influence their ability to pay for other essentials, such as healthcare, medicine, and groceries.

Lena Nchako, a Washington, D.C., resident and Solar For All participant, previously paid about $450 a month for utilities but, because of the program, her bill has since dropped closer to $100 a month.

“I wasn’t able to do a lot of things because [of] heating and cooling, that was about the bulk of it,” Nchako said in the Solar for All documentary. Solar for All aims to provide equal access to renewable power despite the growing income inequality in D.C., where the cost of living continues to rise. These programs allow low-income households access to the same solar energy benefits as those who can afford the high costs of installing systems independently.

The program was established by the DC Renewable Portfolio Standard Expansion Amendment Act of 2016, which specifies that by 2032, there must be 300 MW of solar capacity installed across the District, and that utility companies have to either obtain 10 percent of their energy from solar within the District or pay an alternative compliance payment. These payments fund the program and provided $13 million in its first year.

As of May 2020, over 1,300 households have benefited from the program in some way, and over 80 single-family households have installed and integrated solar PV systems with a 3.5KW capacity directly into their electricity system. Those who live in affordable or public housing where direct installs are either not feasible or will not benefit homeowners can enroll in the community solar facet of the program. These households receive benefits from solar installations in other locations in the District strict through direct payments, bill reduction, or investments in programs specific to their building that improve grid resilience or provide other services. There are currently 1,300 subscribers and over 3,000 more applications pending for this program.

The benefits go beyond reducing the District’s carbon footprint and allowing access to solar. Most of the program's innovative solutions have resulted from the work of community organization contractors. GRID alternatives, one of these contractors, not only enrolls and educates homeowners on the program, they also train and hire community members in solar installation, creating pathways to local green jobs. Over the course of 12 weeks, trainees get the certifications necessary to become solar installers. Many of these trainees then go on to teach solar training programs in their own communities, further developing the workforce.

Tommy Wells, director of the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, wants the program to be an example to cities and states across the nation, and supported the use of some of its funds to go toward creating a documentary highlighting the successes and challenges of the program. One of the successes of the program includes transforming public housing into centers for resilience. These new “resilience centers” have solar panels installed on the roof and batteries in the basement, so, in the case of a power outage or grid failure, certain crucial appliances would not lose power. This allows residents to store valuable items such as medicines or food without fear of spoilage and ensures lights and medical devices will remain on, keeping residents healthy and safe.

One participant in the community solar program, the Dupont Park Seventh Day Adventist Church, creates enough energy to benefit over 40 homes in its community.

“This program was an opportunity to further develop our inroads into the community and say, look, we have a program that’s going to benefit the residents of this neighborhood," said Clarence Moseley, Head Deacon of Dupont Park Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Even those living in aging buildings can participate in the program since funding is available for crucial structural repairs to ensure the solar PV cells can be housed for at least 15 years.

However, the project also faces many challenges. The solar market fluctuates with the seasons, political changes, and supply and demand, making it hard to predict the amount of funding available each year. Yearly funding estimates range from $6 to $40 million. Funding also proved difficult for community partners to navigate, and not all attempts at mobilizing program engagement were successful. One community partner tried to use a bulk purchase model to get more households involved, but the implementation was slow and hard to carry out with homeowners who were not financially invested. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed installations for single-family households, while applications for both facets of the program continue to come in. However, program leaders are confident they will remain on track with installations.

“Solar for All has been a great opportunity for us to take a look at how we’re able to include equity into our discussion around affordable energy and sustainability,” said Daniel White, an energy program specialist at the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment. “Being able to look at how all of the sustainability actions can work together will help us make D.C. one of the cleanest, greenest leaders in the country and across the globe.”

Author: Bridget Williams